January 26, 2007
In 1983 Gordon Jensen wrote a song called "You're The Only Jesus"...
It goes like this:
If not in you, I wonder where, will they ever see the One who really cares?
If not from you, how will they find
There's One who heals the broken heart, and gives sight to the blind?
You're the only Jesus that some will ever see
And you're the only words of life, some will ever read
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they'll ever need
'Cause you're the only Jesus, some will ever see
And if not you, I wonder who, will show them love, and love alone can make things new?
If not from you, how will they learn
There's one who'll trade their hopelessness and give joy in return?
So let Him shine, let Him show
Let them see Him in you, we've gotta let them know
You're the only Jesus that some will ever see
And you're the only words of life, some will ever read
So let them see in you the One in whom is all they'll ever need.....
'Cause you're the only Jesus (you're the only Jesus)
You're the only Jesus, some will ever see!
As I started thinking about my role in this Macedonian "project", I was struck by the fact that everything I do is potentially "read" by another person, be it my family, a co-worker, my friends, an acquaintance, someone I run into when out on an errand, or someone I might encounter when I'm handing out care packages at a park in San Francisco... My actions have the potential to speak volumes, so what do I want those actions to say? Whom do I want those actions to reflect? The love of Christ, of course. That's when this song came to me. "I'm the only Jesus some will ever see..." Those are some mighty powerful words. My life needs to be a reflection of the love of God. That's an awesome responsibility that I don't take lightly.
When we took diapers, wipes, formula, fruit, and fresh produce to the transitional family shelter in San Mateo a couple of weeks ago, it was wonderful to hear that that met a specific need. Lynelle, the director of the shelter, told us that the face of homelessness isn't always like the folks we see pushing shopping carts filled with all their worldly possessions. It could be the person who sits next to us at work who's living paycheck to paycheck and has an unexpected medical bill that pushes them into homelessness, or whose car breaks down and costs more than they have to repair it and they're faced with whether they pay the rent, feed their family, or have transportation... It could be someone who unexpectedly loses their job and has nothing saved for a "rainy day". Who among us, if faced with similar circumstances, might find ourselves in that very same situation--and be most grateful for transitional housing to help us get back on our feet?
What made the day better was knowing that someone who lived in that shelter goes to school with one of our kids! And they're best friends! Can you imagine how loved that young girl and her mom must have felt when they found fresh fruit (they loved the oranges) in the kitchen? Can you see how much Jesus they saw when they realized that some people they'd never met were loving on them just because we could? That day opened a door for two families to develop a friendship--beyond just the two young girls. God has been faithful in providing just what was needed for that mom and daughter at just the right time because His timing is perfect... It doesn't get any better than that.
Last week my family went with the group up to the City and met a lot of people living in a park in the Haight district. We were told what they needed by an astute gal named Amy who pretty much told us that "homeless people need the basics just like everybody else... They like candy and socks and toothbrushes and toothpaste... Just think about the things that you need to live, and they need them too." That was pretty eye opening for me. I guess my perceived notion of homelesness was a little bit different than that, but it was great to get her perspective. So the 17 of us rallied around, walked four blocks up the street to Walgreen's, and invaded. We made care packages for 20 people filled with such things as socks, bandaids, toothbrushes, toothpaste, candy, gum, cough drops, trash bags, beanies, combs, moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, kleenex, chapstick, etc. We made an assembly line outside the store, and put all the goodies in large ziplock baggies, and headed back to the park.
Once there, we handed out the bags to those we came in contact with. We engaged in conversation with several folks in different camps, and most were gracious and grateful to accept the gifts we were offering them. We told them that we'd feed them dinner if they were interested at the McDonald's across the street, and one guy said "a lot of groups come up here and bring us stuff, but no one's ever bought us dinner before." I told him that we've been blessed, and just wanted to share that blessing with others. He was pretty amazed.
We handed out all 20 of our goodie bags, plus various and sundry other extras that we had, including a pair of Ugs. We also fed at least 35 people, and still came away with money left over. I met and shook hands with people named Steven, Kyle, Tyler, Shara, and Nomad. They were all so thankful, so polite, and so unassuming.
Our group ranged in age from 10 to 50ish, and I don't think any one of us left there untouched. You know why? Because it feels good to be used by God to touch another person's life. It feels great to stop thinking about "me" for a time and think about someone else for a change. By putting the focus on someone else's need, it allows us a tiny glimpse of the heartache that's affecting so many in the world around us.
Another thing I've come to realize is my life isn't just "read" on Sunday afternoons when I'm working on the Macedonia project. It's read 24/7. When I come home after a long day at work, when I haven't had enough sleep, when I'm feeling selfish and want my own way God sees my heart, and the people I live with or come in contact with see my attitude and how I respond to situations, so it's "game on" all the time, people. Not just on Sundays.
So let's not stop here... Let's keep this "project" going. Let's take the "me" factor out of the equation a lot more often and allow God to show each of us who He'd like us to put the focus on. I promise you the blessings you'll receive will be far greater than anything you can imagine.
Cindi |
